What AfriThrive does

AfriThrive is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 (with origins as a community resource in 2013) and led by Founder and CEO Dr. Truphena M. Choti. It operates a community food access and culturally specific agriculture model serving African immigrant and minority families across Montgomery, Prince George's, and Baltimore Counties, Maryland. Its programs include a mobile food pantry fleet (three vehicles including a refrigerated truck and trailer), cultural farm sites (a 2-acre site in Poolesville and Madison Fields Farm in Dickerson via a Madison House Autism Foundation partnership), school and community gardens, the Food Is Medicine health education series, and the Youth Empowerment Program (including Rooted Goals workshops for ages 12–18). Differentiated by its focus on culturally appropriate crops (pumpkin leaves, African nightshades/managu, spider plant/saga, amaranth greens) absent from conventional food banks, the organization has cumulatively distributed 2.5 million+ pounds of food and reached 49,500+ individuals since 2019, serving 13,135 families in 2025 alone.

The underlying operational technology is physical rather than digital: refrigerated vehicles, cold storage units, farm plots, and community gardens. There is no proprietary software platform, mobile application, or AI infrastructure disclosed. Business model is multi-stream: individual donations (United Way NCA #9989, CFC #40961), government and foundation grants (most notably a $306,000 Montgomery County Infrastructure Grant in April 2025), ticketed event fundraising (Taste of Africa annual fundraiser, $100–$250 tickets), and merchandise sales via an online storefront. Its go-to-market is community-led, leveraging cultural events (Taste of Africa, soccer tournaments, Earth Day farm ribbon cuttings), faith institution partners, the Balozi Ambassador peer-recipient program, and digital channels (newsletter, social media with hashtag #GrowWithAfriThrive).

Strategic posture is scaling: the organization is mid-build on permanent infrastructure (cold storage secured, 3-vehicle fleet, Madison Fields ribbon cutting April 2026), running a $1.5 million capital campaign for a permanent food system (~$660,000 raised), and convened an Infrastructure Taskforce of eight leaders in January 2026 to guide expansion decisions. Headcount remains small at 1–10 employees, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

AfriThrive

Legal name

AfriThrive Inc.

Website

https://afrithrive.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AfriThrive is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides culturally appropriate food access to African immigrant and minority families through mobile pantries, cultural farms, and Food as Medicine programming across three Maryland counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Access and Nonprofit Social Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Promotion & Public Health Education (Community Workshops) (EDAAAFAG)

Keywords

• Food access programs
• Cultural farming
• Youth empowerment
• Community development
• Food is medicine

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: AfriThrive accepts personal donations to support food access programs, educational workshops, and farm operations. United Way NCA donor designation number is 9989 and CFC donor designation code is 40961.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: AfriThrive receives grant funding from government agencies (e.g., Montgomery County's Office of Food Systems Resilience awarded $306,000 through the Infrastructure Grant Program in April 2025) and private foundations to support food recovery infrastructure, school-based food assistance, and community programming.
3. Event Fundraising: The organization hosts fundraising events such as the annual Taste of Africa cultural and culinary fundraiser, with ticket prices ranging from $100 to $250 for VIP admission.
4. Merchandise Sales: AfriThrive operates an online store selling merchandise (mugs, t-shirts, tote bags, decorative pillows) where proceeds support food access and community wellness programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AfriThrive is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides culturally appropriate food access, agricultural education, and youth empowerment services to African immigrant and minority families in Maryland. Its core offerings include operating a Mobile Food Pantry Program distributing fresh produce and pantry staples; running the AfriThrive Community Farm and Madison Fields Farm to grow Afro-Caribbean crops; delivering Food as Medicine nutrition education; and facilitating the Youth Empowerment Program and urban/community farming initiatives across Montgomery, Prince George's, and Baltimore Counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Food as Medicine: A public health framework program that recognizes the relationship between food and health outcomes, providing nutrition education and culturally appropriate food access.
• Grow With Us
• AfriThrive F.C.

Products and services

• Mobile Food Pantry Program Mobile food distributions delivering culturally appropriate fresh produce and pantry staples directly to African immigrant and minority families across Montgomery, Prince George's, and Baltimore Counties in Maryland, using a refrigerated van fleet and cold storage capacity.
• AfriThrive Community Farm A 2-acre cultural farm growing Afro-Caribbean crops (pumpkin leaves, African nightshades/managu, spider leaves/saga, amaranth greens) that serves as a classroom, celebration space, and hub for intergenerational learning and farm-based food distribution to families.
• Food is Medicine Program A public health framework program providing nutrition education, culturally appropriate food access, and Food is Medicine wellness programming targeting prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, delivered in partnership with schools, clinics, and community health organizations.
• Youth Empowerment Program Goal-setting workshops, mentoring, farm-based learning, cultural education, academic support, and community engagement opportunities for low-income Black youth and children of African immigrant families ages 12 to 18, including the Rooted Goals Youth Workshop at the Compass Art Center.
• Urban and Community Farming Program School and community garden sites (including Kemp Mill Elementary School Garden and Briggs Chaney Community Garden) where families and students grow their own food, learn about soil, seeds, and sustainability, and distribute produce to participating families.
• Healthy Food Initiatives Broader healthy food programs providing nutritious food access, nutrition education, and food distribution support services for families facing food insecurity across Maryland.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.5+ million pounds of food distributed to families since 2019
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant and minor.

• Montgomery County's Office of Food Systems ResiliencecoreOthers · 1 April 2025Montgomery County's Office of Food Systems Resilience awarded AfriThrive $306,000 through its Infrastructure Grant Program in April 2025 to expand cold storage and transportation capacity. This grant is part of a broader $764,000 food recovery initiative supporting multiple organizations working to recover and redistribute food to county residents at risk of hunger.
• Asian American Health InitiativesignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsian American Health Initiative (AAHI), a program of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, partnered with AfriThrive on its Food Is Medicine webinar series focused on diabetes prevention using culturally familiar meals. This partnership enables cross-cultural health education programming.
• American Diversity GroupsignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Diversity Group partnered with AfriThrive on the Food Is Medicine webinar series and other community health programming. The partnership supports culturally grounded nutrition education across Montgomery County's diverse communities.
• Madison House Autism FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMadison House Autism Foundation partnered with AfriThrive to provide access to farmland at Madison Fields Farm in Dickerson, MD. The partnership, formalized with an April 24, 2026 ribbon cutting, enables AfriThrive to grow culturally specific crops and expand its agricultural programming.
• Giant FoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGiant Food's Community Bag Program at the Colesville location (13490 New Hampshire Avenue) designates $1 per $2.75 reusable bag purchased to AfriThrive's Mobile Food Pantry Program during January 2026, providing a passive fundraising channel.
• Montgomery County Food CouncilsignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontgomery County Food Council received a $30,000 Coordination Grant from Montgomery County's Office of Food Systems Resilience. AfriThrive works with the Council as part of the county's broader food rescue network, contributing to the coordinated food recovery strategy.
• Dr. Ohhh (Dr. Oluwatosin Oluokun)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDr. Ohhh (Dr. Oluwatosin Oluokun), founder of Dr. Ohhh Juice and clinical nutritionist, served as AfriThrive's Year End Campaign Ambassador to help raise $30,000 for culturally relevant food access and community health programs. Her personal story of reversing hypertension through nutrition aligns with AfriThrive's Food as Medicine mission.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Capital Area Food Bank: Regional food bank serving the DC metro area including Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. Comparable as a large-scale hunger-relief organization distributing food and nutrition education, but broader in scope and not specializing in culturally appropriate diaspora foods.
• Maryland Food Bank: Statewide food bank serving Maryland communities including Baltimore. Directly comparable as a food distribution and nutrition education provider, though operating at significantly larger scale and without the African-diaspora cultural focus.
• World Central Kitchen: Global nonprofit providing meals in response to food insecurity and disasters. Comparable in food distribution scale and community-led model, though operates globally and at vastly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Manna Food Center: Montgomery County-based food assistance nonprofit distributing food and operating nutrition education programs. Direct local peer sharing the same service geography (Montgomery County) and target population of food-insecure families.
• DC Central Kitchen: DC-based nonprofit addressing hunger through food distribution, culinary job training, and healthy school meals. Comparable as a community-embedded food access nonprofit combining distribution with education/workforce development programming.
• Martha's Table: DC nonprofit providing healthy food, clothing, and education programs to families. Comparable as a multi-service community organization focused on food access plus wraparound family services in the same DC-Maryland region.
• Nourish Now: Maryland-based food recovery nonprofit co-recipient with AfriThrive of the $306K Montgomery County Infrastructure Grant. Direct peer in food rescue and redistribution operating in the same service area.
• Food Recovery Network: National nonprofit recovering surplus food and distributing to communities experiencing food insecurity. Comparable food recovery model and cold-chain logistics, but student-led and broader geographically.
• Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit addressing food insecurity through nutrition incentive programs and produce access. Comparable in mission to improve healthy food access for low-income communities, with a stronger focus on prescription-produce partnerships.

Others

• Madison House Autism Foundation: Foundation partnered with AfriThrive on Madison Fields Farm providing farmland access. Connected as an ecosystem/land partner enabling AfriThrive's expansion of cultural farm operations.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AfriThrive